The three-time All-Star has been playing at a Gold Glove level in center field, and his teammates have noticed
DETROIT — The Seattle Mariners are one win away from making their first American League Championship Series since 2001.
The Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 8-4 on Tuesday at Comerica Park in Detroit. The victory pulled Seattle in front of Detroit 2-1 in the best-of-five ALDS.
After the game, the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6 in their respective ALDS Game 3. That result meant Game 4 between the Tigers and Mariners will take place at 12:08 p.m. PT/3:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Comerica Park.
After the game, Seattle manager Dan Wilson announced Bryce Miller would be the team's starting pitcher for Game 4. It will be the first postseason playoff appearance of Miller's major league career.
Miller spoke to the media in a postgame news conference Tuesday following the announcement he would be the starter.
Miller and the rest of the pitching staff has benefited from stellar defense up the middle this season, starting with Cal Raleigh at backstop and ending with Julio Rodriguez in center field.
Raleigh's defense earned him Platinum Glove and Gold Glove award in the offseason. In Miller's opinion, Rodriguez shouldn't have to wait long for his first career Gold Glove.
"Anytime you have a Platinum Glove catcher, that's certainly going to help," Miller said Tuesday. "Especially when he hits 60 home runs. (J.P. Crawford's) been great at shortstop all year. Julio — I don't know how he hasn't had a Gold Glove yet, but I hope it's coming. And I know he's got plenty in his future.
"It provides us a lot of extra confidence knowing we have the guys behind us and in front of us, as well. Anything to them, I got full confidence that they're going to make a play. Even times, there's been plenty of plays in center field where I think I gave up a double, or even a home run, and Julio comes out of nowhere and makes a play. It's a lot of fun pitching with them behind you."
Rodriguez has been one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball this season. His nine defensive runs saved ranked second in the American League among players who played at least 1,000 innings. Cedanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox has the most (20).
Rodriguez also has 10 outs above average this year, which ranks in the 96th percentile of baseball, according to Baseball Savant.
Rodriguez has been named an All-Star three times in his career, but is yet to earn a Gold Glove. Rafaela will make it a tough race to win the award for the position in the AL, but Rodriguez has more than played up to the standard of the award.
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